“Power words” are the answer, and you can put them in place in a matter of minutes. This post gives you a reference lists of power words, examples of power words being used — everything you need to hit the ground running.

Let’s jump in.

Want a handy PDF containing all 595 Power Words to download and keep? Get it Here.

What Is a “Power Word,” Exactly?

Rather than describe what I mean, let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

Inspiring, right?

Well, there was a lot on the line. Under attack from Germany, Britain was fighting for its survival, and somehow, someway, Churchill had to find a way to inspire his countrymen to greatness.

He chose words. Or, to be more accurate, power words.

Let’s take a look at the passage again, this time with all the power words underlined:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstroustyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

Each underlined word makes the audience feel something. In this case, Churchill intermixes words that cause fear, such as “struggle,” “tyranny,” and “terror,” with words that cause hope, such as “strength,” “God,” and “victory.” The last, in particular, is repeated over and over, practically drilling the emotion into the minds of the audience.

It’s no accident. Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

Granted, that’s not all they do. The best writers use an entire tool chest of techniques to create emotion, and power words are only one such tool.

But there’s good news.

For beginning writers, power words are one of the easiest tools to master. Unlike many storytelling strategies which can take years of practice to master, you can start sprinkling power words into your writing, and you’ll notice an immediate lift in the quality of your prose.

All you lack is a list of power words to use, but of course, I have you covered there too. 🙂

595 Power Words and Phrases to Start Using Immediately

For years now, every time I mentioned power words to my students, someone always asked:

“Where can I get a list? Is there a book I can buy?”

Sadly, not that I’m aware of. That’s why I created this list.

Slowly, over a period of several weeks, I catalogued all the power words that jumped out to me, organizing them into categories based on the emotion you want to create, so you can easily find the right word. In the future, I’ll also update the list, adding new words on a regular basis to make it the most comprehensive list of power words available anywhere.

It costs nothing. All I ask in return is you share it with your friends and readers when appropriate, helping it reach the people who need it most.

Enjoy.

Want a handy PDF containing all 595 Power Words to download and keep? Get it Here.

Our Giant Curated List of Power Words

FEAR

ENCOURAGEMENT

LUST

ANGER

Agony

Amazing

Allure

Abhorrent

Apocalypse

Ascend

Arouse

Abuse

Armageddon

Astonishing

Bare

Annoying

Assault

Astounding

Begging

Arrogant

Backlash

Audacious

Beguiling

Ass kicking

Beating

Awe-inspiring

Brazen

Backstabbing

Beware

Awesome

Captivating

Barbaric

Blinded

Backbone

Charm

Bash

Blood

Badass

Cheeky

Beat down

Bloodbath

Beat

Climax

Big mouth

Bloodcurdling

Belief

Crave

Blatant

Bloody

Blissful

Delight

Brutal

Blunder

Bravery

Delirious

Bullshit

Bomb

Breathtaking

Depraved

Bully

Buffoon

Brilliant

Desire

Cheat

Bumbling

Celebrate

Dirty

Clobber

Cadaver

Cheer

Divine

Clown

Catastrophe

Colossal

Ecstacy

Cocky

Caution

Command

Embrace

Corrupt

Collapse

Conquer

Enchant

Coward

Corpse

Courage

Enthralling

Crooked

Crazy

Daring

Entice

Crush

Cripple

Defeat

Entrance

Curse

Crisis

Defiance

Excite

Debase

Danger

Delight

Explicit

Defile

Deadly

Devoted

Exposed

Delinquent

Death

Dignity

Fascinate

Demolish

Deceiving

Dominate

Forbidden

Desecrate

Destroy

Effortless

Frisky

Disgusting

Devastating

Empower

Goosebumps

Dishonest

Disastrous

Epic

Hanker

Distorted

Doom

Excellent

Heavenly

Evil

Drowning

Excited

Hottest

Exploit

Dumb

Extraordinary

Hypnotic

Force-fed

Embarrass

Eye-opening

Impure

Foul

Fail

Fabulous

Indecent

Freaking out

Feeble

Faith

Intense

Full of shit

Fired

Fantastic

Intoxicating

Greedy

Fool

Fearless

Itching

Gross

Fooled

Ferocious

Juicy

Harass

Frantic

Fierce

Kinky

Hate

Frightening

Force

Kiss

High and mighty

Gambling

Fulfill

Lascivious

Horrid

Gullible

Glorious

Lewd

Infuriating

Hack

Glory

Lick

Jackass

Hazardous

Graceful

Lonely

Kick

Hoax

Grateful

Longing

Kill

Holocaust

Grit

Love

Knock

Horrific

Guts

Lure

Knock Out

Hurricane

Happy

Luscious

Know it all

Injure

Heart

Lush

Lies

Insidious

Hero

Lust

Livid

Invasion

Honor

Mischievous

Loathsome

IRS

Hope

Mouth-watering

Loser

Jail

Incredible

Naked

Lying

Jeopardy

Jaw-dropping

Naughty

Maul

Lawsuit

Jubilant

Nude

Misleading

Looming

Legend

Obscene

Money-grubbing

Lunatic

Life-changing

Orgasmic

Nasty

Lurking

Magic

Passionate

Nazi

Massacre

Marvelous

Pining

No Good

Meltdown

Master

Pleasure

Obnoxious

Menacing

Mind-blowing

Provocative

Oppressive

Mired

Miracle

Racy

Pain in the ass

Mistake

Miraculous

Raunchy

Payback

Murder

Noble

Risque

Perverse

Nightmare

Perfect

Rowdy

Pesky

Painful

Persuade

Salacious

Pest

Pale

Phenomenal

Satisfy

Phony

Panic

Pluck

Saucy

Pissed off

Peril

Power-Up

Scandalous

Pollute

Piranha

Praise

Seduce

Pompous

Pitfall

Prevail

Seductive

Pound

Plague

Remarkable

Sensual

Preposterous

Played

Revel

Sex

Pretentious

Plummet

Rule

Shameless

Punch

Plunge

Score

Sinful

Punish

Poison

Seize

Sleazy

Rampant

Poor

Sensational

Sleeping

Ravage

Prison

Spectacular

Spank

Repelling

Pummel

Spine

Spellbinding

Repugnant

Pus

Spirit

Spicy

Revile

Reckoning

Splendid

Steamy

Revolting

Refugee

Spunk

Stimulating

Rotten

Revenge

Staggering

Strip

Rude

Risky

Strengthen

Sweaty

Ruined

Scary

Striking

Tantalizing

Ruthless

Scream

Strong

Taste

Savage

Searing

Stunning

Tawdry

Scam

Shatter

Stunt

Tease

Scold

Shellacking

Supreme

Tempting

Sick and tired

Silly

Surprising

Thrilling

Sink

Slaughter

Terrific

Tickle

Slam

Slave

Thrive

Tight

Slander

Strangle

Thwart

Tingle

Slap

Stupid

Titan

Turn on

Slay

Tailspin

Tough

Unabashed

Smash

Tank

Tremendous

Uncensored

Smear

Targeted

Triumph

Untamed

Smug

Teetering

Unbeatable

Untouched

Sniveling

Terror

Unbelievable

Urge

Snob

Terrorist

Unforgettable

Voluptuous

Snooty

Torture

Unique

Vulgar

Snotty

Toxic

Unleash

Wanton

Spoil

Tragedy

Uplifting

Wet

Stuck up

Trap

Valiant

Whip

Suck

Vaporize

Valor

Wild

Terrorize

Victim

Vanquish

X-rated

Trash

Volatile

Victory

Yearning

Trounce

Vulnerable

Win

Yummy

Tyranny

Warning

Wonderful

Underhanded

Worry

Wondrous

Up to here

Wounded

Violate

GREED

SAFETY

FORBIDDEN

Bank

Above and beyond

Ancient

Bargain

Anonymous

Backdoor

Best

Authentic

Banned

Billion

Automatic

Behind the scenes

Bonanza

Backed

Black Market

Booked solid

Bankable

Blacklisted

Cash

Best-selling

Bootleg

Cheap

Cancel anytime

Censored

Costly

Certified

Classified

Discount

Clockwork

Cloak and dagger

Dollar

Endorsed

Concealed

Double

Foolproof

Confessions

Explode

Guaranteed

Confidential

Extra

Ironclad

Controversial

Feast

Lifetime

Covert

Fortune

Money-back

Cover-up

Free

No Obligation

Exotic

Freebie

No Questions Asked

Forbidden

Frenzy

No risk

Forgotten

Frugal

No strings attached

From the vault

Gift

No-fail

Hidden

Golden

Official

Hush-hush

Greatest

Permanent

Illegal

High-paying

Privacy

Insider

Inexpensive

Professional

Little-known

Jackpot

Protected

Lost

Lowest price

Proven

Never seen before

Luxurious

Recession-proof

Off the record

Marked down

Refund

Off-limits

Massive

Reliable

Outlawed

Money

Research

Private

Money-draining

Results

Restricted

Money-saving

Risk-free

Sealed

Nest egg

Rock-solid

Secret

Pay zero

Science-backed

Smuggled

Prize

Scientific

Strange

Profit

Secure

Tried to hide

Quadruple

Sure-fire

Unauthorized

Reduced

Survive

Uncensored

Rich

Tested

Under wraps

Savings

That never fails

Undercover

Six-figure

Thorough

Underground

Skyrocket

Trustworthy

Under-the-table

Soaring

Try before you buy

Undisclosed

Surge

Unconditional

Unexpected

Treasure

Verify

Unlock

Triple

World-class

Unreachable

Waste

Unspoken

Wealth

Unveiled

Whopping

Withheld

The 7 Different Types of Power Words

As you can see in our giant list above, we’ve organized our power words into seven different types:

Fear

Encouragement

Lust

Anger

Greed

Safety

Forbidden

These different types of power words all accomplish the same goal: They inspire emotion in your reader.

Let’s go over each type and see why they work.

Fear Power Words: Calling All Fearmongers

Let’s do a little experiment.

Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.

Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:

Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.

It’s effective. Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.

Here’s a bunch to get you started:

Agony

Fool

Plunge

Apocalypse

Fooled

Poison

Armageddon

Frantic

Poor

Assault

Frightening

Prison

Backlash

Gambling

Pummel

Beating

Gullible

Pus

Beware

Hack

Reckoning

Blinded

Hazardous

Refugee

Blood

Hoax

Revenge

Bloodbath

Holocaust

Risky

Bloodcurdling

Horrific

Scary

Bloody

Hurricane

Scream

Blunder

Injure

Searing

Bomb

Insidious

Shatter

Buffoon

Invasion

Shellacking

Bumbling

IRS

Silly

Cadaver

Jail

Slaughter

Catastrophe

Jeopardy

Slave

Caution

Lawsuit

Strangle

Collapse

Looming

Stupid

Corpse

Lunatic

Tailspin

Crazy

Lurking

Tank

Cripple

Massacre

Targeted

Crisis

Meltdown

Teetering

Danger

Menacing

Terror

Deadly

Mired

Terrorist

Death

Mistake

Torture

Deceiving

Murder

Toxic

Destroy

Nightmare

Tragedy

Devastating

Painful

Trap

Disastrous

Pale

Vaporize

Doom

Panic

Victim

Drowning

Peril

Volatile

Dumb

Piranha

Vulnerable

Embarrass

Pitfall

Warning

Fail

Plague

Worry

Feeble

Played

Wounded

Fired

Plummet

Encouragement Power Words: Give Your Readers a Pep Talk

Let’s face it.

When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired. And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.

The good news?

Your writing can do that for them. Use these power words to give them a pep talk and get them charged up again:

Amazing

Fearless

Score

Ascend

Ferocious

Seize

Astonishing

Fierce

Sensational

Astounding

Force

Spectacular

Audacious

Fulfill

Spine

Awe-inspiring

Glorious

Spirit

Awesome

Glory

Splendid

Backbone

Graceful

Spunk

Badass

Grateful

Staggering

Beat

Grit

Strengthen

Belief

Guts

Striking

Blissful

Happy

Strong

Bravery

Heart

Stunning

Breathtaking

Hero

Stunt

Brilliant

Honor

Supreme

Celebrate

Hope

Surprising

Cheer

Incredible

Terrific

Colossal

Jaw-dropping

Thrive

Command

Jubilant

Thwart

Conquer

Legend

Titan

Courage

Life-changing

Tough

Daring

Magic

Triumph

Defeat

Marvelous

Tremendous

Defiance

Master

Unbeatable

Delight

Mind-blowing

Unbelievable

Devoted

Miracle

Unforgettable

Dignity

Miraculous

Unique

Dominate

Noble

Unleash

Effortless

Perfect

Uplifting

Empower

Persuade

Valiant

Epic

Phenomenal

Valor

Excellent

Pluck

Vanquish

Excited

Power-up

Victory

Extraordinary

Praise

Win

Eye-opening

Prevail

Wonderful

Fabulous

Remarkable

Wondrous

Faith

Revel

Fantastic

Rule

Lust Power Words: Take a Page from Cosmopolitan (or Playboy)

Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.

Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.

And it works, not just for men’s and women’s magazines, but for anything. As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.

Here’s a lascivious list to get you started:

Allure

Itching

Sinful

Arouse

Juicy

Sleazy

Bare

Kinky

Sleeping

Begging

Kiss

Spank

Beguiling

Lascivious

Spellbinding

Brazen

Lewd

Spicy

Captivating

Lick

Steamy

Charm

Lonely

Stimulating

Cheeky

Longing

Strip

Climax

Love

Sweaty

Crave

Lure

Tantalizing

Delight

Luscious

Taste

Delirious

Lush

Tawdry

Depraved

Lust

Tease

Desire

Mischievous

Tempting

Dirty

Mouth-watering

Thrilling

Divine

Naked

Tickle

Ecstasy

Naughty

Tight

Embrace

Nude

Tingle

Enchant

Obscene

Turn on

Enthralling

Orgasmic

Unabashed

Entice

Passionate

Uncensored

Entrance

Pining

Untamed

Excite

Pleasure

Untouched

Explicit

Provocative

Urge

Exposed

Racy

Voluptuous

Fascinate

Raunchy

Vulgar

Forbidden

Risque

Wanton

Frisky

Rowdy

Wet

Goosebumps

Salacious

Whip

Hanker

Satisfy

Wild

Heavenly

Saucy

X-rated

Hottest

Scandalous

Yearning

Hypnotic

Seduce

Yummy

Impure

Seductive

Indecent

Sensual

Intense

Sex

Intoxicating

Shameless

Anger Power Words: Start a Riot

As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.

Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it. The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic — they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.

So, we have to fan the flames. By using the below power words, you can connect with people’s anger, and slowly but surely, you can work them into a frenzy. Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person. 🙂

Abhorrent

Gross

Punish

Abuse

Harass

Rampant

Annoying

Hate

Ravage

Arrogant

High and mighty

Repelling

Ass kicking

Horrid

Repugnant

Backstabbing

Infuriating

Revile

Barbaric

Jackass

Revolting

Bash

Kick

Rotten

Beat down

Kill

Rude

Big mouth

Knock

Ruined

Blatant

Knock out

Ruthless

Brutal

Know it all

Savage

Bullshit

Lies

Scam

Bully

Livid

Scold

Cheat

Loathsome

Sick and tired

Clobber

Loser

Sink

Clown

Lying

Slam

Cocky

Maul

Slander

Corrupt

Misleading

Slap

Coward

Money-grubbing

Slay

Crooked

Nasty

Smash

Crush

Nazi

Smear

Curse

No good

Smug

Debase

Obnoxious

Sniveling

Defile

Oppressive

Snob

Delinquent

Pain in the ass

Snooty

Demolish

Payback

Snotty

Desecrate

Perverse

Spoil

Disgusting

Pesky

Stuck up

Dishonest

Pest

Suck

Distorted

Phony

Terrorize

Evil

Pissed off

Trash

Exploit

Pollute

Trounce

Force-fed

Pompous

Tyranny

Foul

Pound

Underhanded

Freaking out

Preposterous

Up to here

Full of shit

Pretentious

Violate

Greedy

Punch

Greed Power Words: Stomp on Their Greed Glands

The legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said, “If you want people to buy something, stomp on their greed glands until they bleed.” Graphic, yes, but also true.

Skim through good sales copy, and you’ll find a lot of these power words. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.

The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either making or saving money. Use these words to tap into those desires:

Bank

Freebie

Pay zero

Bargain

Frenzy

Prize

Best

Frugal

Profit

Billion

Gift

Quadruple

Bonanza

Golden

Reduced

Booked solid

Greatest

Rich

Cash

High-paying

Savings

Cheap

Inexpensive

Six-figure

Costly

Jackpot

Skyrocket

Discount

Lowest price

Soaring

Dollar

Luxurious

Surge

Double

Marked down

Treasure

Explode

Massive

Triple

Extra

Money

Waste

Feast

Money-draining

Wealth

Fortune

Money-saving

Whopping

Free

Nest egg

Safety Power Words: Make Them Feel Safe

Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.

They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver. They need to believe they’ll get results.

Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter. To help your customers feel safe, try to use as many of these power words as possible:

Above and beyond

No obligation

Risk-free

Anonymous

No questions asked

Rock-solid

Authentic

No risk

Science-backed

Automatic

No strings attached

Scientific

Backed

No-fail

Secure

Bankable

Official

Sure-fire

Best-selling

Permanent

Survive

Cancel anytime

Privacy

Tested

Certified

Professional

That never fails

Clockwork

Protected

Thorough

Endorsed

Proven

Trustworthy

Foolproof

Recession-proof

Try before you buy

Guaranteed

Refund

Unconditional

Ironclad

Reliable

Verify

Lifetime

Research

World-class

Money-back

Results

Forbidden Power Words: Offer Them a Forbidden Fruit

Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right?

The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.

So why not tap into that programming?

Whenever you need to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:

Want a handy PDF containing all 595 Power Words to download and keep? Get it Here.

Power Words in Action: 14 Places Where You Strong Words Can Help You

So, now that you have a big list of options to choose from, where are the primary places you should put power words to get the biggest “bang for your buck?”

Below you’ll find examples of power words being used in:

Headlines

Subheads

Email Subject Lines

Opt-in Boxes

Home Page

Sales Pages

Testimonials

Bullet Lists

Business Names / Domain Names

Product Names

Buttons

Author Bios

Youtube Videos

Book titles

Ready to dive in?

#1. Using Power Words in Headlines

Any bloggers who’s been in the game for a while knows that the headline is the most important part of your article.

Its purpose, after all, is to entice the reader to read the rest of the article. If it fails to get attention, potential readers will ignore it when it shows up in their social media feed.

And just one or two power words in your headline is usually enough to make it stand out.

Just look at this headline from BuzzFeed:

The word “Unveiled” makes it feel like a secret is being exposed, and the word “Breathtaking” makes you curious to see what the photo looks like.

Here’s another example from BoredPanda:

People generally love anything adorable, so this headline will easily catch attention. (The fact that it refers to snakes will only make people more curious.) The headline then drives it home by using the powerful verb “Conquer”.

Here’s one more from BrightSide:

While one or two power words are often enough, this headline proves you can use more when it fits. This headline has four powerful words, but they feel natural in the headline, which keeps it from feeling like over-the-top clickbait.

#2. Using Power Words in Subheads

Once people click on your headline, most will scan the post first to see if it looks worthy of their attention. Adding some power words to your subheads is a good way to make your post look like an interesting read.

For example, here are three subheads from our post on Ebook mistakes:

See how the power words in these subheads catch attention and make you want to read the text that follows?

#3. Using Power Words in Email Subject Lines

Having an email list is of little use if only few on your list open your emails.

And these days, most people’s inboxes are flooded, so they’re selective in which emails they open.

You can stand out in their inbox and raise your open rates by including power words in your subject lines.

Just look at this one from Ramit Sethi:

If this subject line would’ve read “The rules of learning”, do you think it would be as appealing? The word “unspoken” is what makes it interesting.

Here’s another one from Cal Fussman:

Both “Triumph” and “Tragedy” are powerful words full of emotion.

And finally, here’s a good example from AppSumo:

The phrase “Unleash the power” makes you feel this email is hiding something incredibly powerful inside.

See how that works?

When you send out emails to your list, try and add a power word to your subject line to make it stand out in people’s inbox.

#4. Using Power Words in Opt-In Boxes

As a blogger, one of your main goals is to grow a large and engaged readership, and the best way to do so is through converting readers into subscribers.

That means you should have opt-in forms scattered across your website. You can place them on your homepage, at the end of your posts, in your sidebar, in a popup, or anywhere else.

But no matter where you place them, your opt-in boxes must catch people’s eye and make them want to share their email address with you. Because they won’t just give it away to everyone. (Remember, their inboxes are already flooded, so they’re not necessarily eager to get even more emails.)

Fortunately, you can use power words to make your offer more enticing.

Here’s an old popup from Cosmopolitan which is an excellent example:

This popup had power words everywhere, but it avoids feeling like overkill. I bet it converted like crazy.

Here’s a slightly more subtle example from Betty Means Business:

It’s more subtle, but still quite effective.

Again, you don’t have to overdo it with the power words on these. A little can go a long way.

Here’s one final example from Renegade Planner:

Are you using power words in your opt-in boxes yet? If not, you should add some right away.

#5. Using Power Words on Your Home Page

Your home page is the face of your website and it’s usually one of the most visited pages. Many people who enter your website, will see this page first, and you want it to make a good first impression.

Some people use their home page to promote their email list, others use it to promote one of their products, and others use it as red carpet, welcoming new visitors and explaining what their site is all about.

In any case, your home page is a good spot to add a few power words, as it can determine whether people stay (and take the action you want them to take) or leave.

Look at this value proposition on the home page for Nerd Fitness:

“Nerds”, “Misfits” and “Mutants” are unusual power words that work well for the audience Nerd Fitness is targeting. These words immediately separate his blog from all the other fitness blogs out there.

But they push it even further with “Strong”, “Healthy” and “Permanently”.

Here’s another value proposition from MainStreetHost’s home page:

It’s quite minimal, isn’t it? They just wrote down three power words and follow it up with a service they provide.

Of course, you don’t have to limit your use of power words to the top of your homepage. You can use it in other parts of the home page too, as Ramit Sethi does here in his list of what you’ll get when you sign up for his email list.

Go look at your homepage now and see if you can find any areas you can spruce up with some power words.

#6. Using Power Words in Business Names/Blog Names

Your blog or business name should have an impact on people. Having a forgettable domain name is poison to your blog growth. You want a name that people can easily recall when they want to visit your site.

If you haven’t chosen your blog name yet (or if you’re thinking about rebranding), you might use a power word to give it some punch. It’ll make you stand out from all the boring, forgettable brands.

Just take a look at the collection of blog names below and see how well they’ve incorporated power words:

#7. Using Power Words in Product Names

Just like you can use power words to spruce up your blog name, you can also use them to make your product names pack more of a punch.

It can make the difference between your potential customers thinking, “Ooh, this product sounds cool!” and them thinking, “Meh.”

Just check out this subscription product from Nerd Fitness:

It has such a powerful name that you’d almost want to sign up without learning anything else. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of rising heroes?

Here’s another good example from Pat Flynn:

It’s a powerful name for his podcasting course that instantly informs you of the benefit.

So if you’re about to launch a product (or if you’ve launched a product with a tepid name), consider giving it a power word to make it pack a punch.

#8. Using Power Word on Sales Pages

You can also use power words to spruce up your sales pages and make them more effective at selling your products or services.

They will grab people’s attention when they arrive on the page, they will keep their attention as they scroll down, and they’ll help seduce readers before they reach your “buy” button.

Just look at this headline on Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his product 50 Proven Email Scripts (which also has a power word in its name):

And as you scroll down, you see he keeps using power words throughout his sales page.

His headline is follow by subheads such as these:

And he even uses power words his guarantee:

#9. Using Power Word in Testimonials

Power words are also tremendously effective in testimonials.

Of course, I’m not suggesting you change people’s testimonials to include power words. But you can certainly select the ones that already use them to great effect.

Just look at this example from Betty Means Business:

Or look at this one from Farideh’s blog:

And here’s another example from Renegade Planner:

All these testimonials will lend extra credibility and excitement due to their power words and phrases.

#10. Using Power Words in Bullet Lists

Many sales pages include a list of benefits of the product that they’re selling. Many opt-in forms include a list of reasons you should sign up to their email list.

You can use power words in these lists to inspire more excitement in your reader as they read through it.

Here’s one example from Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his How to Talk to Anyone course:

And here’s another example from an opt-in form on Restart Your Style:

Without these power words, these list wouldn’t convince nearly as many readers to buy or subscribe.

#11. Using Power Words in Button Copy

Yep, you can use power words in your button copy too, even if you only have a few words you can fit in there.

One of the most common power words used in buttons is “Free”, as in the example below:

But you can be more creative with buttons than you might think.

Takes this button from the sales page for the book The Renegade Diet:

“Immediate”, “Money Back” and “Guarantee” are all incredibly powerful words, and the author manages to squeeze them all into one button.

And take this example from Tim Ferris’ popup:

He could’ve used “Send Me the List” as most people would do, but “Unlock” makes it sound a lot more intriguing, like you’re getting access to something that’s been kept hidden away.

Now take a look at the buttons on your site. Do you see any opportunities to spruce them up with a power word?

#12. Using Power Words in Author Bios

Your author bio is another extremely important part of your marketing.

When you guest post for another blog, your author bio has the difficult job of making readers want to know more about you so they click through to your site.

That means your author bio needs to spark attention and interest. And you usually only get three sentences, so you need to carefully consider the words you use.

See this author bio from Henneke Duistermaat:

Henneke’s author bio is full of power words. It shows her uniqueness and makes her stand out from other copywriters.

You can tell she has carefully picked each word for maximum impact.

Here’s another examples from Sarah Peterson:

She opens strong immediately by mentioning her guides are insanely useful. And just the name of her report alone is full of power words: “Free”, “Reveal” and “Begging”.

Makes you want to get your hands on that report, doesn’t it?

#13. Using Power Words on Youtube Videos

If you’re publishing videos on youtube and you want to get more views, you should use power words in your titles as well.

All the biggest youtube channels do this. They understand that most of their views will come from their subscribers finding them in their feed, and from people finding them in the sidebar of other videos.

In both cases though, you’re competing with many other videos for their attention.

Note also how he has capitalized “Disgusting”. It’s another smart trick many youtube channels use to stand out more in youtube’s lists of video suggestions.

Style vlogger Aaron Marino often does it as well:

By capitalizing the power words “Don’ts” and “Stupid”, his title catches a lot more attention (as you can see for yourself by the millions of views).

#14. Using Power Words in Book Titles

If you’re interested in writing your own book, adding power words to your titles will help it sell better. With all the competition in the book market these days, you need a title that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to peek inside.

Here are a few quick grabs from Amazon’s list of bestsellers in the self-help niche:

I’m sure you’ve seen this title before. You might say Stephen Covey’s use of power words in his title has been highly effective. (See what I did there?)

Mark Manson’s bestselling title is packed with power. The power word “Subtle” juxtaposes well with the F-bomb in the title, and his use of “Counterintuitive” will spark some interest as well.

Lastly, Jen Sincero’s encouraging book title makes you want to flip it open right away and read it in one go. The use of “Badass” alone will make it stand out in the self-development section, but her use of “Greatness” and “Awesome” in the subtitle truly seals the deal.

Go Ahead and Tell Me. What Words Did I Miss?

Yes, this is an enormous list, but so many power words are available, nobody can possibly catch them all on the first pass. What are some other words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them?

Leave your answer in the comments, and as time goes by, I’ll come back periodically and update the list. Eventually, I hope to have over 1,000 words here, separated and organized by category, making this the definitive resource for power words on the web.

Thanks in advance for commenting and sharing the post with your friends!

About the Author: Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger. Poor man. 🙂